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project-bootstrapper skill

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This skill helps bootstrap and improve projects by automating structure, tooling, documentation, and workflows for faster, professional setup.

npx playbooks add skill mhattingpete/claude-skills-marketplace --skill project-bootstrapper

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---
name: project-bootstrapper
description: Sets up new projects or improves existing projects with development best practices, tooling, documentation, and workflow automation. Use when user wants to start a new project, improve project structure, add development tooling, or establish professional workflows.
---

# Project Bootstrapper

Sets up new projects or improves existing projects with development best practices, tooling, documentation, and workflow automation.

## When to Use

- "set up a new project"
- "bootstrap this project"
- "add best practices"
- "improve project structure"
- "set up development tooling"
- "initialize project properly"

## What It Sets Up

### 1. Project Structure
- Standard directories (src/, tests/, docs/, scripts/, .github/)
- Logical file organization
- Structure improvements

### 2. Git Configuration
- Comprehensive `.gitignore`
- `.gitattributes` for line endings/diffs
- Git hooks (pre-commit, commit-msg)
- Branch protection patterns
- Git LFS if needed

### 3. Documentation
- Comprehensive `README.md`
- `CONTRIBUTING.md`
- Code documentation (JSDoc, docstrings)
- `CHANGELOG.md` structure
- Architecture docs if complex

### 4. Testing Setup
- Identify/suggest testing framework
- Test structure and conventions
- Example/template tests
- Configure test runners
- Coverage reporting
- Testing scripts/commands

### 5. Code Quality Tools
- Linters (ESLint, Pylint, etc.)
- Formatters (Prettier, Black, etc.)
- Type checking (TypeScript, mypy, etc.)
- Pre-commit hooks for quality
- Editor configs (.editorconfig)
- Code quality badges

### 6. Dependencies Management
- Package manager configuration
- Organize dependencies
- Check security vulnerabilities
- Set up dependency updates (Dependabot, Renovate)
- Create lock files
- Document dependency choices

### 7. Development Workflow
- Useful npm scripts / Makefile targets
- Environment variable templates (.env.example)
- Docker configuration if appropriate
- Development startup scripts
- Hot-reload / watch modes
- Document development workflow

### 8. CI/CD Setup
- GitHub Actions / GitLab CI config
- Automated testing
- Automated deployment (if applicable)
- Status badges
- Release automation
- Branch protection

## Approach

### Discovery Phase

Ask clarifying questions:
1. **Project type**: New or existing?
2. **Primary purpose**: Web app, library, CLI tool?
3. **Language/framework**: JS/TS, Python, Go, etc.?
4. **Collaboration**: Personal or team?
5. **Deployment target**: Server, cloud, mobile, desktop?
6. **Preferences**: Specific tools/frameworks?
7. **Scope**: Full setup or specific areas?

### Implementation Phase

1. **Analyze existing** structure (if existing project)
2. **Create plan** based on answers
3. **Show plan** and get approval
4. **Implement systematically** (one area at a time)
5. **Verify completeness**
6. **Provide handoff** documentation

## Customization

Adapts to:
- **Language ecosystem**: Node.js vs Python vs Go vs Rust
- **Project size**: Small script vs large app
- **Team size**: Solo vs collaborative
- **Maturity**: Startup speed vs enterprise standards

## Tools Used

- **AskUserQuestion**: Gather requirements
- **Write**: Create configuration files, documentation
- **Edit**: Update existing files
- **Bash**: Initialize tools (git init, npm init)
- **Read**: Analyze existing structure
- **Glob**: Find files to update

## Success Criteria

- All standard files present and configured
- Clear and complete documentation
- Documented development workflow
- Automated quality tooling (pre-commit hooks)
- Easy test execution
- Follows language/framework conventions
- Quick developer onboarding
- No obvious best practices missing

## Templates

- Node.js/TypeScript web app
- Python CLI tool
- Python web API (FastAPI/Flask)
- React/Next.js app
- Go service
- Rust CLI/library

## Integration

- **feature-planning**: For planning custom features
- **code-auditor**: For validating setup quality
- **codebase-documenter**: For generating detailed docs

## Scope Control

- **Full bootstrap**: Everything from scratch
- **Partial setup**: Specific areas only (e.g., "just add testing")
- **Improvement pass**: Enhance existing project
- **Audit + fix**: Check what's missing and add it

Overview

This skill sets up new projects or improves existing repositories with development best practices, tooling, documentation, and workflow automation. It produces a repeatable, team-friendly project layout and automated developer workflows so projects are easier to maintain, test, and ship. Use it to bootstrap from scratch or to modernize an existing codebase quickly.

How this skill works

I start with a discovery phase to collect project type, language, collaboration needs, deployment target, and preferences. Then I analyze the repository (if present), propose a concrete plan, and implement changes one area at a time: structure, git config, docs, testing, linters, dependency management, workflows, and CI/CD. Deliverables include config files, scripts, documentation, and verification steps so the team can onboard fast.

When to use it

Starting a new project and want a professional foundation
Improving an existing repo to follow modern dev practices
Adding testing, linting, or automated checks to CI
Standardizing developer workflow and onboarding docs
Preparing a project for team collaboration or release

Best practices

Begin with a short discovery session to capture goals and constraints
Apply language-ecosystem conventions (package manager, style guides)
Introduce automated checks early: linters, formatters, and tests in CI
Prefer minimal, documented defaults (.env.example, Makefile/npm scripts)
Make changes incrementally and provide a clear handoff with docs

Example use cases

Bootstrap a Node.js/TypeScript web app with ESLint, Prettier, tests, and GitHub Actions
Add test framework, CI, and CONTRIBUTING.md to an existing Python CLI project
Standardize folder structure, .gitattributes, and pre-commit hooks for a multi-repo team
Configure Dependabot/Renovate, lockfiles, and vulnerability checks for dependency safety
Create Docker dev environment, startup scripts, and README with developer workflow

FAQ

Can you work on a partial scope, like only adding tests?

Yes. I will perform a focused pass for the requested area, produce configurations, example tests, and update docs without changing unrelated files.

Which languages and frameworks do you support?

I adapt to major ecosystems (Node.js/TS, Python, Go, Rust, frontend frameworks) and tailor configs to best practices for each.